PanGaia #26 Yuletide Lore (download)

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PanGaia #26 - Yuletide Lore
Why should the Christians (and secular culture) have all the fun at the holidays? Discover the Pagan roots of the Winter Solstice holidays in this special issue.

Look beneath the surface: Santa Claus, whose red, fur-trimmed suit and rolling laughter is found everywhere in December, is more than the patron saint of consumerism. Diana Paxson leads us "In Search of Father Yuletide" in which the Heathen roots of this most popular secular deity are revealed.

But Santa isn't the only Wintertime gift-bringer: St Lucia and the Holly King are also an integral part of European traditions of Winter Solstice. Joanna Powell Colbert celebrates the myth and magick of these two lesser-known Yuletide figures.

And then, there's Jesus. Although this time of year ostensibly celebrates his birthday, our article "Jesus Christ: Pagan Superstar?" explores how the myth of Christ connects into the deep roots of the dying/rising god and questions whether Pagans can re(claim) the ubiquitous folk hero of Western civilization for their own.

And we haven't left out the more popular stories: in "Humbug or Hope?" we explore the deeper meaning of the naysayers of the "shopping season" -- Scrooge and the Grinch.

Plus M Macha Nightmare on the magic of vocal spellcasting; an underworld meditation from R J Stewart, Denny Sargent on the Gnostic path, Patricia Telesco on how to make a stone oracle; and even Pagan reviews of classic holiday films. 80 pages, originally published in the winter of 2000.